My very skinny rabbit

nessar said:

In the meantime, stop unhealthy treats straight away. I'd also invest in some treat hays instead, as she may prefer these. But don't chuck them out if they are rejected, she will likely take some time to get her gut moving properly and for her appetite for hay to get better.

What is her normal healthy weight?

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I have never made record of her weight. I guess she should weight at least 2.5 kg.

It was surprising for me that popcorn was that bad for her. I know chocolate and sweets are, but I only give her half a jelly bean size once a week. I bite half to taste the jelly bean and give her the other half. As you all saying, I will not give it to her then.

Although she is skinny, but she seems to be as active as normal.

She does have hay 24 hours. I use hay as her bedding. Well, although I can't be 100% sure she doesn't eat it, but I have never caugh her eatting it. She is a house rabbit and I spend at least 3 hours a day with her.

I noticed today she has gone off oats (part of the pellet mix). She starts liking brussel sprouts.
Her stomach problem started before I give her apple. I give her apple because this is the only way she would eat some grass. Her stomach problem has reduced since then. But still happens every now and then. If I don't give her apple, she won't eat grass at all.

Why carrots are not good? I thought rabbits suppose to eat carrots...

I used to be the same I gave my rabbit bits of cake and biscuits but she used to try and grab them out my hand! Anyway she ended up overweight and got sore down below because of the extra weight so I ended up changing her food so she just has hay, small amount of pellets and a bit of veg each day. No more biscuits or cake and for a treat I give her a small piece of apple or carrot. I also try and give her forage like grass and dandilions in the summer.

I would agree with the others about it most likely being her teeth as they can become really fussy in what they eat when they have molar spurs as it becomes painful for them to eat. Basically the teeth become sharp on the edge which rubs on their tongue and gums and makes it sore. Like in this picture

The spurs are very difficult to see as they are right at the back of the mouth so a vet will need to check with a special instrument that goes in the mouth.
Have you got your vet appointment tomorrow? Keep us all posted and let us know what they say but good luck I hope they can figure out what is wrong with your bunny.

avisccs said:

I have never made record of her weight. I guess she should weight at least 2.5 kg.

It was surprising for me that popcorn was that bad for her. I know chocolate and sweets are, but I only give her half a jelly bean size once a week. I bite half to taste the jelly bean and give her the other half. As you all saying, I will not give it to her then.

Although she is skinny, but she seems to be as active as normal.

She does have hay 24 hours. I use hay as her bedding. Well, although I can't be 100% sure she doesn't eat it, but I have never caugh her eatting it. She is a house rabbit and I spend at least 3 hours a day with her.

I noticed today she has gone off oats (part of the pellet mix). She starts liking brussel sprouts.
Her stomach problem started before I give her apple. I give her apple because this is the only way she would eat some grass. Her stomach problem has reduced since then. But still happens every now and then. If I don't give her apple, she won't eat grass at all.

Why carrots are not good? I thought rabbits suppose to eat carrots...

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Carrots have a high sugar content as do apples so if they have too much it can cause them digestive problems. I tend to just give apples and carrots in small amounts as a treat.

avisccs said:

Why carrots are not good? I thought rabbits suppose to eat carrots...

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As Lady said they are full of sugar and should be given as a treat.

I think it's the stereotypical view that rabbits can have endless carrots and that's that, like Bugs Bunny who always had a carrot. Even though he was a cartoon. I imagine carrots were given to fatten rabbits up for meat, domestic pets don't need fattening up and just like keeping them in tiny spaces, feeding loads of carrots, veg, fruit has been adopted by many owners because that's what the Victorians did for meat rabbits. Dogs and cats lives have improved considerably I suppose, but rabbits seem to be stuck in Victorian times

avisccs said:

I have never made record of her weight. I guess she should weight at least 2.5 kg.

It was surprising for me that popcorn was that bad for her. I know chocolate and sweets are, but I only give her half a jelly bean size once a week. I bite half to taste the jelly bean and give her the other half. As you all saying, I will not give it to her then.

Although she is skinny, but she seems to be as active as normal.

She does have hay 24 hours. I use hay as her bedding. Well, although I can't be 100% sure she doesn't eat it, but I have never caugh her eatting it. She is a house rabbit and I spend at least 3 hours a day with her.

I noticed today she has gone off oats (part of the pellet mix). She starts liking brussel sprouts.
Her stomach problem started before I give her apple. I give her apple because this is the only way she would eat some grass. Her stomach problem has reduced since then. But still happens every now and then. If I don't give her apple, she won't eat grass at all.

Why carrots are not good? I thought rabbits suppose to eat carrots...

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Well if you think she should be about 2.5kg then she has lost a fifth of her bodyweight - that really is very dangerous, so make sure you get her to the vet tomorrow. For comparison, I have a bunny that at a healthy but slim weight should be about 3.65kg. He has a weight-loss problem due to gut problems (which were partly caused and aggravated by a diet high in sugar and protein and low in hay) and both myself and the vet get very worried if he drops below 3.4kg - and that is losing roughly a forteenth of his weight.

Popcorn I would avoid because corn can cause blockages in the gut, and these can be fatal. The main risk is from corn kernals, like the dried corn-on-cob treats you can buy for hamsters and what you make popcorn from, but I would also avoid popcorn too. Fresh babycorn can be fed in moderation, but I personally don't feed it - a bunny with a slow gut (like mine because he doesn't eat enough hay) or gut problems is more at risk from blockages than a rabbit with a healthy gut that eats lots of hay.

Carrots, as others have said, are high in sugar which can cause gut problems, and so should be treated like fruit - fruit should only be given as treats and in small quantities.

If she hasn't had brussels before I wouldn't introduce them whilst she is having all these gut issues, but if she is normally fine with them that is good that she is eating them. Going off oats would worry me if she usually likes them... best get her to the vet tomorrow.

Hi!:wave:loads of great advice being given. I think she does need to see a vet and get checked out though.
Do you have pics of her? Might help identify her and average weight possibley...but the vet should know.

Thought this might be of use...a list of things that bunnies can eat...that are great in fibre and good for them.

Different types of hay like meadow hay, timothy hay, rye hay.

Free wild plants:
Hawthorn - branches & leaves
Apple branches & leaves ( leave out actual apples...too high in sugar)
Rose leaves & petals
Lemon balm leaves,
Bramble leaves
Willow leaves & branches

The following I'd give in moderation until her tummy is ok with it.
Rosemary
Basil
Lemon thyme & thyme
Sunflower leaves (not the seeds...seeds are not good for rabbits...their intestines are really tiny and seeds can cause blockages which can be fatal)
Flat leafed parsley

Try keeping to a high fibre pellet and dont change them over.
Get whole formed pellets - not a muesli mix...often rabbits will only eat some of it...so alwasy a whole formed pellet.
The ones mentioned have fibre contents above 25% - this is good.
Rabbits tummies are sensitive to changes in their diets....good ones to look at are:
Science sellective
http://www.petplanet.co.uk/product.asp?dept_id=331&pf_id=6139
Oxbow Timothy Hay pellets
http://www.oxbowanimalhealth.com/products/type/detail?object=1536

Ensure she has branches to chew on....essential for her teeth...hopefully she will start to feel better soon. Try think how wild rabbits live and what they eat...this is what is the healthiest diet for your domestic rabbit. ALOT of fibre in hay and wild foods will be whats best for her health.

Surprise, surprise.

I've just been to the vet and the vet said she is not underweight. She said she might be skinny at the back, but she has nice padding at her tummy and her tummy feels alright. She said I need to monitor her weight and if my rabbit is still losing weight, I need to revisit her in 2 weeks, so it can be looked into more detail. I guess they will do a blood test etc.

She also checked her back teeth using a instrument. She said her teeth are not too bad. They are not perfect teeth, but they should not have caused any problem with eating. She asked me if her eyes have problem (like tears). I said they are healthy.

She also recommended a slow change of diet, just like you all says in this forum.

I also asked her about apple. She said that if it is the only way she would eat some grass then just keep it as it is. She said apple is high in sugar, but the rabbit is not overweight, so don't worry too much about it now.

Well, at least this put me at ease. I shall just keep a record of her weight and sort out her diet slowly.

As for photos, I can put photos on, but there is no point, because she is a big ball of fluff. That's why her name is Ballball. Every friend says she is a big fat rabbit until they touch her.

chelle said:

The ones mentioned have fibre contents above 25% - this is good.
Rabbits tummies are sensitive to changes in their diets....good ones to look at are:
Science sellective
http://www.petplanet.co.uk/product.asp?dept_id=331&pf_id=6139
Oxbow Timothy Hay pellets
http://www.oxbowanimalhealth.com/products/type/detail?object=1536

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I just checked the rabbit pellet I am using has only 10% Fibre. Actually this is the same as the brown fakes for my breakfast...

My rabbit would not eat the hay colour pellet. She would rather strave.

Wow that is low. I give Doughnut the vetcare digestion formula ones which are 32% fibre. I think they are the highest fibre pellets

cpayne said:

Wow that is low. I give Doughnut the vetcare digestion formula ones which are 32% fibre. I think they are the highest fibre pellets

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Sorry to hijack the thread but how many of these do u feed your bunny please 2 of mine love them but I only been adding 1 to their pellets for now

avisccs said:

Surprise, surprise.

I've just been to the vet and the vet said she is not underweight. She said she might be skinny at the back, but she has nice padding at her tummy and her tummy feels alright. She said I need to monitor her weight and if my rabbit is still losing weight,ui I need to revisit her in 2 weeks, so it can be looked into more detail. I guess they will do a blood test etc.

She also checked her back teeth using a instrument. She said her teeth are not too bad. They are not perfect teeth, but they should not have caused any problem with eating. She asked me if her eyes have problem (like tears). I said they are healthy.

She also recommended a slow change of diet, just like you all says in this forum.

I also asked her about apple. She said that if it is the only way she would eat some grass then just keep it as it is. She said apple is high in sugar, but the rabbit is not overweight, so don't worry too much about it now.

Well, at least this put me at ease. I shall just keep a record of her weight and sort out her diet slowly.

As for photos, I can put photos on, but there is no point, because she is a big ball of fluff. That's why her name is Ballball. Every friend says she is a big fat rabbit until they touch her.

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Hi regarding bunnys back teeth vets cannot see these cheek teeth as my vet calls them without a GA because these teeth are right at the back in the bunnys cheeks so to speak

Glad the vet said your bunny seemed ok. I think maybe your rabbit is being very fussy maybe see if you can get a sample of the different higher fibre pellets and see if there is any that she likes. Mine have the burgess excel pellets and they love them. When I put the bowl down they are so excited to get to it they sometimes headbut it out of my hands! Also maybe gradually introduce some herbs and add it to the hay/grass if she likes any to encourage her to eat it.

OK well that sounds like a good plan. Perhaps keep a diet diary for your bun & weigh her yourself weekly (always at the same time of day).
Again OP where are you situated in the world?
RU members local to you may have advice re good hays, better pellets, trusted rabbit vets etc.

avisccs said:

Surprise, surprise.

I've just been to the vet and the vet said she is not underweight. She said she might be skinny at the back, but she has nice padding at her tummy and her tummy feels alright. She said I need to monitor her weight and if my rabbit is still losing weight, I need to revisit her in 2 weeks, so it can be looked into more detail. I guess they will do a blood test etc.

She also checked her back teeth using a instrument. She said her teeth are not too bad. They are not perfect teeth, but they should not have caused any problem with eating. She asked me if her eyes have problem (like tears). I said they are healthy.

She also recommended a slow change of diet, just like you all says in this forum.

I also asked her about apple. She said that if it is the only way she would eat some grass then just keep it as it is. She said apple is high in sugar, but the rabbit is not overweight, so don't worry too much about it now.

Well, at least this put me at ease. I shall just keep a record of her weight and sort out her diet slowly.

As for photos, I can put photos on, but there is no point, because she is a big ball of fluff. That's why her name is Ballball. Every friend says she is a big fat rabbit until they touch her.

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Good that she isn't underweight Did your vet check her back end and advise you on the messy bottom problem that she's been having?

What kind of hay do you give her? Have you tried other hays? :wave:

avisccs said:

I just checked the rabbit pellet I am using has only 10% Fibre. Actually this is the same as the brown fakes for my breakfast...

My rabbit would not eat the hay colour pellet. She would rather strave.

Click to expand...

I'd advise changing these asap. As she doesn't eat hay, she'll need a very high fibre pellet to help her gut. Normally the lowest fibre pellet I would recommend is 19% fibre, but that would be for a rabbit that eats lots of hay. I'd recommend one of the higher fibre pellets, like Excel Sensitive (25%), Supreme Science Selective Adult (25%), Oxbow (25-29%), Supreme Fibafirst (30%) or Supreme's VetCare range, the Digestive Health Formula (32%).

If you change slowly, you shoudn't have a problem with her accepting these. Introduce them first as treats. I haven't tried Excel Sensitive or Oxbow, but out of the others my bunnies preferred the Fibafirst. They thought they were getting a treat and would run off with them in their mouths. It is fenugreek flavour, which is an appetite stimulant, so also a good idea to help get her eating more.

Glad to hear the vet thinks she is ok weight-wise :thumb:

There is some fab nutritional advice being given here, I hope you manage to find a hay she likes or manage to get her on to a high fibre diet without her being too much of a fusspot

nessar said:

I'd advise changing these asap. As she doesn't eat hay, she'll need a very high fibre pellet to help her gut. Normally the lowest fibre pellet I would recommend is 19% fibre, but that would be for a rabbit that eats lots of hay. I'd recommend one of the higher fibre pellets, like Excel Sensitive (25%), Supreme Science Selective Adult (25%), Oxbow (25-29%), Supreme Fibafirst (30%) or Supreme's VetCare range, the Digestive Health Formula (32%).

If you change slowly, you shoudn't have a problem with her accepting these. Introduce them first as treats. I haven't tried Excel Sensitive or Oxbow, but out of the others my bunnies preferred the Fibafirst. They thought they were getting a treat and would run off with them in their mouths. It is fenugreek flavour, which is an appetite stimulant, so also a good idea to help get her eating more.

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:wave:Hi! Great news that she is not underweight....Keep an eye on it.
Id really recommend changing her diet...I know what you mean about rather staring BUT its essential for her to get more fibre for her health. One of my buns I adopted only ate a cereal mix...low in fibre, really not good for their teeth or guts...and I changed his diet over a few weeks by adding a newer higher fibre pellet. I changed 1/3 of the amount at first and he just left it but was always scrounging for his old feed...I was worried but continued with it and after 2-3 weeks he started eating them. He was also an almost non-hay eater...he ate fresh grass...but he also learnt to eat hay. His teeth & general health improved dramatically. Sometimes we have to give them whats good for them, whats the healthiest option apposed to what they like to eat and in time they actually start to love their new diet. Keep with it, be patient and ignore those cute little I want more nonsense food faces!
The advice given from Nessar is great advice....def the buns best interest a heart!